BC News Friends to follow

Russ Carpenter

Post 2 council member Russ Carpenter will seek another four years on the Richmond Hill City Council, he announced Thursday.“I know it’s a cliché, but we’ve got a lot of irons in the fire. I’d like to help to make sure they come to fruition,” said Carpenter, a U.S. history teacher at Richmond Hill High School who was first elected in 2009.Among those irons are the Belfast Commerce Centre, which is expected to be annexed by Richmond Hill soon, the $20-24 million wastewater treatment plant — the largest single project in the city’s history — and a push to help the city keep its identity as it grows, he said.Carpenter noted a number of council achievements during the last four years.“The No. 1 thing I think we’ve accomplished during my first term is the new industrial park. If there’s anything I’m most proud of, that’s it. The potential for jobs at the Belfast Commerce Centre is excellent. A lot of my students, when they go off to college, they have very little chance of coming back here and living because of the lack of jobs. I think the industrial park will change that,” Carpenter said.“We’ve also refinanced the City Center and saved taxpayers about $800,000 by working out a better repayment deal,” he added.